Richard Hillman
Richard Charles Hillman was a character in Coronation Street from to. He was the most famous serial killer ever in the show. He killed Patricia Hillman and Maxine Peacock. He was played by Brian Capron. Biography Backstory Richard Hillman was born in December 1951 to Mr. Hillman and Mrs. Hillman. When Richard was young his father abandoned him and his mother for another woman. In 1971 Richard married a woman named Marion but ended up caring for his mother who had fallen ill and started suffering dementia. Marion wanted children and not to look after a sick old woman, and divorced Richard. After his mother died, Richard went onto marrying Patricia and they went into business together. But Richard discovered he was unable to provide children, so he and Patricia ended up divorcing as well. According to Richard, he and Alma Baldwin were cousins and close in childhood, but had lost contact. Whether or not this is true or part of his con has never been confirmed. 2001-2003 Legacy Despite his death, the legacy of Richard still cast a dark shadow over the Platt family for years to come. In 2006 David began sending cards to his family addressed from Richard as part of a sick joke. This sent Gail over the edge where she had to start taking medication, and suspicion fell upon several neighbours such as Gail's enemy Eileen Grimshaw and even Gail herself. David was unveiled as the culprit and showed fear at the thought of being arrested. But in the end Gail decided not to push the matter further. In October 2007 David returned to the spot where Richard tried to kill him and his family, and drove into the canal but lead his family to think he killed himself. He even played the same music Richard did all these years ago. On the fifth anniversary of Richard's death in March 2008 David pushed Gail down the stairs, although this had no relation to Richard and was merely a coincidence. In 2013 David revealed to his wife Kylie that he had been suffering nightmares of Richard, showing that he still cast a dark shadow over the family even 10 years on after his death. Despite Richard's misdeeds and his horrific crimes, sometimes David would sarcastically bring Richard up in a jokey way, especially when making fun of the ridiculous amount of ex-husbands Gail has. Background information *Brian Capron had previously appeared in the show in the 1980s as social worker Don Worthington. *The Richard Hillman storyline was voted and featured in Channel 4's 100 Greatest Scariest Moments in 2003, ranking at 32nd place. *In 2010 Brian Capron appeared in the Coronation Street DVD Spin-off Knight's Tale in which a boatman named Dickie strongly resembled Richard Hillman, causing discomfort to Norris Cole. A lot of humorous in-jokes were made, especially with Dickie's love for the water and that he had a cousin in Manchester, implying he is a possible relative of Richard. Memorable Information Appearances: 20 June 2001–14 March 2003 Birth: 20 December 1951 Death: 14 March 2003 (Age 51) Parents: Mrs. Hillman (deceased), Mr. Hillman Spouse(s): Marion Hillman (1971–????), Patricia Hillman (1997–????) (Deceased), Gail Platt (2002–2003) Cousins: Alma Baldwin (Unconfirmed) Gallery richard first appearance.png|Richard at Alma's funeral in June 2001 (first appearance of the character) richard's first kill.png|Richard kills his ex-wife Patricia richard marries gail.png|Richard marries Gail in 2002 richard prepares to attack emily 2003.png|Richard prepares to attack Emily Bishop (January 2003) Category:Coronation Street Characters. Category:Past characters. Category:Characters first seen in 2001. Category:Characters last seen in 2003. Category:Coronation Street bad boys. Category:1951 Births Category:1971 Marriages Category:1997 Marriages Category:2002 Marriages Category:2003 Deaths Category:Hillman family Category:Murderers Category:Villains. Category:Deceased characters